School
by Snowcouger
Summary: Kiba meets Naruto one day after school and decides to be his friend. The next day he stubles upon the blonde getting the living daylight's beaten otta him and saves his life...
1. Chapter 1

"Who's the new boy?"

"I don't know. He just enrolled yesterday."

"I heard my mom talking about him. She was saying some really mean things. I didn't understand most of it, but it sounded like there's something wrong with him."

"Oh please, he's too small to be trouble. The kid's just a runt."

"Yeah, that's what you think Kiba. My mom said he's trouble, and she told me not to talk to him."

"Whatever ya mama's boy. D'you always do everything your mom tells you?"

"Hey, shut up dog-breath. At least I don't carry my dog around like a security blanket all day long."

"Hey, Akamaru only comes with me because he wants to. And anyway, he could kick your butt right here and now."

"Yeah right. That mangy mutt sleeps all day long."

"Take that back you lousy..."

"Kiba!" shouted Iruka-sensei as he ran to break up the fight. "What the hell is wrong with you!? You know that fights aren't allowed!"

"I know! But I'm not going to sit back and let some punk insult Akamaru!"

"Kiba Inuzuka! You do not talk like that in front of teachers!" He grabbed Kiba by the wrist, "Detention! And no recess for the rest of the week!"

"Nani!? No way! Not fair!!! This bastard insults my dog and I get punished?!?!"

"Oh don't think he's getting off scott-free." Iruka turned to the other boy, "You get detentions too. One week's lunch room duty!"

"Awww man..." mumbled the other boy.

Iruka dragged Kiba inside. "Come on you. Your mother's getting a call about this."

--------------------------------------------------------

Later that afternoon...

"He said what!"

"I'd rather not repeat it Mrs. Inuzuka."

"Kiba what the hell were you thinking, using that kind of language!"

"What??? He was insulting Akamaru! Doesn't that count for anything???"

"Insulting Akamaru isn't a good enough reason to be using that language young man and you know it."

"Oh alright. I'll tell the little jerk I'm sorry. Happy now?"

"No, that's not good enough Kiba. You're ten years old now, and far too old to get away with anything that easily. You're grounded untill further notice. When we get home I'll let your father decide if anymore punishment is necessary."

"Awwwwwww..."

"Go wait outside. I need to discuss some other thing's with your sensei."

"Yeah, yeah..." grumbled Kiba as he stomped outside. He stopped just outside the door to give his eyes a second to adjust to the bright light. "Stupid teachers...I shouldn't a been punished...he was the one that deserved to get groundeded...adults suck..."

"Got that right..."

"Who's there!?"

"Over here," said the voice. "Under the tree."

Kiba turned and stared at the boy sitting on the swing under the shade tree. "Who're you? Aren't you the new kid?"

"Yeah, that's me. I'm the new kid that everyone's been ignoring."

"Humph...You're the reason I got in trouble!"

"What did I do???" demanded the boy.

"If it wasn't for you, the jerk and I never woulda started arguing and I never woulda gotten in trouble with Iruka-sensei!"

"I didn't mean to get anyone in trouble...I thought that no one had noticed me yet... I was hoping they hadn't in fact..." He sighed, "Sorry..."

Kiba shrugged, "Ehhh don't worry about it. I'm not really mad at you. I'm just annoyed that I got groundeded for a week is all." He walked over to the boy. "My name's Kiba. What's yours?"

"I'm Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

"So then Naruto, whatcha doing here this late in the afternoon? Parent's late in picking you up?"

"No, nothing like that. I just enjoy sitting here on this swing. This is just about the only place in the village I can go and people won't bother me."

"Whatcha mean, bother you?"

Naruto frowned slightly, "Well, it's just that, the adults...well...the adults don't really like me for some reason. Everywhere I go they glare at me and whisper behind my back. Some even try and chase me away." He rubbed his arm, "One even threw rocks at me because I was standing to close to him at a street corner a few days ago."

Kiba's jaw dropped, "You're kidding!"

"I wish I was..." Naruto shrugged the sleeve of his shirt down and showed Kiba the bruise. "See..."

"Kami, that's horrible! And all because you were standing to close to him?"

"Yeah..." sighed Naruto. "He's not the first either. All the adult's are like that. I've just kinda learned to stay away from people as much as possible..."

"Geeze... What you do to piss people off so bad?"

"I don't know," shrugged the blonde. "It's always been like this...as far back as I can remember I've been the favorite target for lots of people."

The door opened and Kiba's mom stepped out, followed by Iruka. "Get over here Kiba. I don't want you talking to the other kids. You're supposed to be grounded."

"Grrrr...I'm commin'. I'm commin'." He yawned and waved goodbye to Naruto. "See ya tomorrow"

"Yeah, bye Kiba."

--------------------------------------------------------

"Hey mom..." began Kiba as they walked home. "Is there's something wrong with that boy I was talking to? You know, the new student at the academy, Naruto?"

Kiba's mom eyed him suspiciously. "Why? Was he the cause of this whole mess?"

"No, but I was talking to him before and he was telling me about how bad the adult's were treating him and I was just wondering if there was something wrong with him."

"Well Kiba, there really isn't much to say about him. Most of the adult's are afraid of him, and that's why they treat him so bad."

"Afraid? Why would they be afraid of him? He's too small to cause trouble."

"Don't ask why son. Thats not important. All that matters is that trouble follows that kid wherever he goes."

"Okay... And why can't you tell me whats wrong with him? Or why are the adults afraid of him?"

His mom didn't answer for a second. "Kiba...Just trust me when I say that I can't tell you yet...Maybe when you're older...All I can say is be careful around him. I'm not saying he'd do anything to you, I honestly don't think he'd hurt anyone intentionally...but just pay attention to what everyone else is doing."

"Cryptic much?"

"Just drop it. I've probably told you too much already. Don't go asking around about Naruto. You'll just get yourself in more trouble."

"But...?"

"Drop it!" she growled. "I said no!"

Kiba fell silent, but he occasionally shot murderous glances toward his mother.

--------------------------------------------------------

Next morning...

"I'm off for school, Mom!" called Kiba from the front door.

"Okay, remember, go straight there, no detours!" she called back.

"Right!" He exited the house and started down the street. He meandered in the general direction of the school building; he'd left a bit earlier than usual so he was in no great hurry. He was debating whether or not to blow the last of his allowance on a cinnamon bun at the local store when he heard shouting comming from around the next corner. He ran to investigate. There was a mob of kids surrounding a small boy, taunting him and throwing things. Kiba moved slightly closer to get a better view when he saw the blonde hair "Naruto...?" he mumbled. The boy looked up, trying to find a way out of the crowd. "Oh my God!!! Naruto!!!" Kiba shoved his way through the crowd to the boy. "Naruto! What happened!?"

"Kiba! Get out of here! These guys mean business! They'll hurt you too!"

Kiba grabbed Naruto's wrist," Come on! I'm getting you out of here!" He pulled the boy toward the crowd, which condensed in an effort to keep them trapped. "Move!!!"

They all just laughed.

"Akamaru! Gimmie some help here buddy!"

Akamaru jumped out of Kiba's coat. "Arf!"

More laughter.

"That thing could hurt a fly!" called one.

"He's too small to chase rats!"

Kiba growled menacingly, "Let's go Akamaru!" He let go of Naruto and charged the crowd.

All hell broke loose! Most of the crowd ran when Kiba charged, but a few hardcore idiots stayed to fight. Naruto watched in awe as Kiba slashed and bit and kicked at the remaining few people. Akamaru shredded a more than a few shirts and gave one of them a nasty bite to the arm. The whole fight was over in less than two minutes. Those few morons that had stayed to fight scampered off, screaming for their moms and swearing revenge on Kiba.

Kiba wiped the dirt of his clothes and turned to face Naruto. "You okay?"

Naruto nodded, to amazed to speak.

"Come on," said Kiba as he picked up Akamaru and set him safely on his head, "Let's get to school. We can report those guys to Iruka."

Naruto nodded, still in shock over what Kiba had done. They made their way to the school, careful not to give anyone a chance to ambush them.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Show me," sighed Iruka after Kiba and Naruto told him what happened. Naruto showed Iruka the places where they had pelted him with the rocks and where they had beaten him with sticks. "Geeze...They got you good Naruto. Why didn't you fight back?"

Naruto stared at his feet, "There were too many... They woulda killed me if I had..."

"Looks to me like they were trying to kill you anyway." He opened a drawer and pulled out a first-aid kit. "Hang on a second and let me clean those cuts."

Naruto nodded and held still for Iruka.

"Kiba," he said as he washed the wounds, "You did a good thing, rushing to Naruto's aid like that. I'm not saying it was very smart. You got really lucky. There's no way you could have taken on the entire crowd by yourself."

"Naw, I had Akamaru with me. We coulda taken those thugs."

"No, you couldn't. That overconfidence of yours if going to get you in alot of trouble one day. You're just one kid and his dog. You can't do it all. Between the two of you, I doubt you could have stopped more than eight, maybe nine. And thats only if they weren't academy students. If they had been I highly doubt you would have lasted against more than four before they overpowered you. Sorry Naruto, this is going to sting," he said as he dabbed Iodine on some of the wounds. Naruto flinched, but didn't move or complain. Iruka dabbed off the excess and bandaged the deeper cuts. "You'll probably need an ice-pack for some of those bruises, but other than that you should be fine. You might have a scar on your arm though."

"That's okay. I don't mind scars. I've got so many already that it's pointless to worry about more."

"Yeah, I noticed. Anyway, I don't want either of you to go back outside this morning. I doubt that those kids are going to let either of you get away with a stunt like that unpunished." He packed up the first-aid kit and put it away. "I need to go talk to a few people about this. I want both of you to stay here while I'm gone. If anyone come in here looking for trouble, call one of the other teachers. Don't get into a fight! It won't matter who started it if the whole lot of you get expelled."

"Yes Iruka-sensei," they nodded.

Iruka sighed and left the room.

"Well that sucks..."

"Welcome to my world. I have to deal with crap like that on a near daily basis."

"Your life sucks, Naruto."

"Don't I know it."

"So why where those punks trying to kill you anyway?"

"Hell if I know. I wouldn't doubt if some of the parents put 'um up to it." He sat down on one of the desks. "I just wish I knew what the hell I did to make everyone hate me so much..."

"It is not only you."

Kiba and Naruto jumped. They both stared at the door. A small, somewhat pudgy boy with braided jet-black hair and thick eye-brows stood at the door.

"Damn, Lee. Give me a heart attack why don't ya," joked Kiba.

"Sorry, I did not mean to startle you."

"S'alright. S'alright .Come on in and join the outcast club."

Lee chuckled, "I have been a member of that particular club for many years, Kiba." He turned to Naruto, "You are the new boy, correct?"

"Yeah, I'm Naruto."

"My name is Lee. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"So Lee, what brings you here this early?"

"Well, I had been outside attempting to train, but the constant badgering made it too difficult to concentrate so I decided to retreat inside."

"Probably a good call. The crowds are feeling murderous today. A big group of 'um ambushed Naruto here a little while ago."

"Yes, I had heard. There are several of them outside boasting about how the beat him to a pulp before he scurried home with his tail between his legs. Well, not that eloquently, but the basic idea was the same."

Kiba and Naruto laughed.

"It's the other way around. Did ya notice all the cut's and bruises they had?"

"Yes. It appearers that you and Akamaru fought back."

"Yep," he nodded. "I'm not gunna let them get away with stuff like that. The whole reason they think they can is because no one fights back."

"You did," muttered Naruto.

"You should too!"

"I can't..."

"Yes you can! If you just stood up for yourself then they'd leave you alone!"

"I don't even know how to fight..."

"Oh come on, you can't tell me your parent's didn't teach you any jutsu?"

Naruto turned away from Kiba and Lee, trying to hide the tear that leaked from his eye. "I...I don't have parents..." he whispered.

"You're an orphan?"

He nodded.

"Oh man, I'm sorry. I didn't know..." Kiba apologized.

"S'okay...I thought everyone knew..." He sniffed. He wiped his eyes and turned back around. "Don't worry about it. I try not too."

"I can sympathize," said Lee as he sat down next to Naruto. "I never knew my father, so I can at least begin to understand how you feel."

The door opened again and Iruka walked in. "Oh, hello Lee. You're inside early."

"The atmosphere outside is not conducive to the health of the outcast crowd currently."

"So I noticed. I had to break up three fights a moment ago."

"So I guess you called my mom again?"

"No Kiba, not yet I didn't. I will later. But don't worry, you aren't in trouble."

"Okay." He yawned, "that's good to know."

"Iruka-sensei, who did you talk to?"

He smiled at Naruto, "The other teacher's mostly. They needed to know the students are feeling rebellious today." He grinned, "Today was probably the best day for this to happen anyway..."

"Why?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it. I was just thinking out loud."

"Okay...?"

A knock on the door.

"Yes?" called Iruka as he stood up to open it.

"If it is alright, I would like to speak to Naruto and Kiba," replied the person standing behind the door.

Iruka ran to open the door, "Yes, of course Lord Hokage! They are right here!"

Kiba and Naruto stared at each other, then at the door, then back at each other.

"Come with me boys," motioned Sarutobi.

"Yes sir," they complied.

He led them to an empty classroom a few doors down. "Well boys," he began, "Iruka told me about what happened. I'm glad that neither of you was seriously injured, although I was told that you received some minor injuries Naruto." He paused to gather his thoughts. "I was wondering, do you know why they ambushed you?"

Naruto shook his head, "No sir. I was walking to school, minding my own business, when they just appeared out of nowhere. I think they were waiting in the alley for me to pass by. I really don't have a clue why they chose me or why they decided to attack today. I really wish I did."

Sarutobi nodded, "What exactly was your role, Kiba?"

"Well sir, I was on my way to school, trying to decide whether or not to grab something to eat, when I heard shouting. I ran to see what happened and when I got around the corner I saw the mob of people yelling and throwing things. When I got closer I heard a scream of pain and saw Naruto's blonde hair over the crowd and ran to help. I managed to push my way to the center of the crowed and tried to pull him out. When they wouldn't let me, I fought back. Most fled when I charged. Akamaru attacked several, and I took on the rest. Naruto hung back while we fought. When the last of them had fled, I grabbed Naruto and we managed to get here without running into anymore trouble."

"I see..." He sighed heavily. "Boys...I'm going to need you to do something for me. I want you to promise me you'll cooperate fully before I tell you what it is. Do I have it?"

Kiba and Naruto stared at each other for a moment, then nodded.

"Good. Now listen closely: I want you to follow these instructions to the letter."

They nodded again.

"I want you to avoid any attacking that could cause any kind of incident at school. That include taunting, fights, threats, and practical jokes. When school ends I want you both to go home immediately; no detours. Naruto, it may not be safe for you to go home for a few days, so I'm going to ask Mrs. Inuzuka if you can stay there. She might not be very happy with the arrangement at first, but I am reasonably sure she will agree. If not, you will be staying with me untill such time as it is safe for you to return home. This afternoon I want you to stay behind wait for Iruka to accompany you home to gather any personal items that you will need. He will then escort you to either the Inuzuka home or to my home. Both of you will be escorted to school in the morning, and you will not be aloud to leave during the school day without permission. So please, do not even attempt to skip class," he said this with a knowing smile aimed at Kiba, "And at least attempt to feign alertness during class. Do you understand?"

"So basically you're saying to keep your noses clean, don't screw up, don't go off on your own, and watch your back?"

"Basically, yes."

They glanced at each other. "Okay," they both said.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for the restrictions, but it is for your own safety."

"Sure, I'll go with that," said Kiba.

"Yeah, what he said," agreed Naruto. He paused for a second, debating whether or not to ask the all important question. Deciding that he'd better take the chance he asked, "Sir, why is it that the adults hate me so much?"

Sarutobi smiled sadly, "That Naruto, is a very good question. It is also a question that I cannot answer at this time. Please forgive the overworked adage, but you are too young for the truth right now. All I can tell you is that the hated they show toward you is born of fear and unforgotten memories. That is all I can say for now."

"But, why can't you tell me more? I mean, come on, it's got to be better for me to know why they hate me than not, isn't it? If I knew what I did wrong, then maybe I can do something about it!"

"My dear child, what makes you think you did anything wrong?"

"Why else would they hate me? You said it yourself, they are all afraid of me. What did I do to make them afraid of me?"

"It was not what you did that frightens them. They just believe that you did it. Or rather, they want to blame you for what happened, because the real culprit is no longer among us. They hate and fear you because you remind them of what happened, and so they have transfered all those suppressed feeling's on to you."

"Okay...? I didn't understand most of that...But that's more of an answer than anyone else has ever given me so I guess I can be happy with it for now."

"You will one day Naruto," smiled Sarutobi as he turned to open the door. "Now, I believe you two are nearly late for class."

"Oh right, it's time for Iruka-sensei's class."

"Go on and don't be late," he smiled as they ran from the room.

------------------------------------------------------------

"_Psst!"_

No response.

"_Psst!"_

Still no response.

"_Psst! Hey Kiba!"_ whispered Lee as he tried to get the boy's attention. They had been sitting in class for nearly an hour, and Kiba had spent most of it trying to ignore Lee's incessant begging to know what the Hokage had told him and Naruto before class started. Finally he relented and scribbled a note on a spare scrap of paper and passed it back to him.

_Stop bugging me. Gunna get us both in trouble. Wait 'till lunch._

Lee sighed and scribbled a reply.

_Fine. I shall wait. _

The rest of the class was uneventful, accept for the usual commotion that happened right about eleven-thirty every couple of days when Choji started getting hungry and pulled a bag of chips out from his backpack and munched on them under his desk, and the smell started making other people hungry untill one of them gets angry that Choji gets to eat while they have to wait and tell Iruka, who then yells at Choji or eating during class and goes off on some tangent about how ninja have to ignore hunger on missions and yadda yadda yadda. Kiba had spaced out long before then, and missed the entire spectacle. Naruto was mildly interested, have never seen on of these tirades before, and watched with mild amusement. Lee was practically twitching in his seat; the need to know what had been said between his friends and the Hokage was driving him insane. So by the time the lunch bell rang at noon, the class was near a full blown riot stage. Lee, Kiba, and Naruto grouped together when they were released for lunch, and they made a beeline for the farthest, most secluded table of the outdoor picnic area. They were joined within minutes by Tenten, who was a good friend of Lee's and had been sitting with them at lunch for the past few days.

"You're that new kid, right?" she asked when she sat down next to Lee.

"Yeah, I'm Naruto."

"I'm Tenten. I heard about the fight this morning. I can't believe how cruel those guys were to you."

Naruto smiled, "Thanks. It's good to know there are at least some people out there that aren't trying to kill me."

"I take a policy of non-violence toward people that others hate. I don't see the point in forming an opinion about a person unless I get to know them personally. And from what I've see and heard, I think we'll get along just fine."

Naruto was practically beaming by this point.

"Can we join you?" came a voice from behind them. They turned and saw that Shino and Hinata were standing a few feet away. "The tables inside are full, and there seems to be a somewhat disturbing air about many of the students today. You seem to be the only one's not affected," said Shino quietly.

"That's because they're after two of us," laughed Kiba. He motioned to the empty spots on the table's bench. "We got plenty of room here for all."

"Thank you," said Shino as he sat down. Hinata stuttered something that sounded like 'thanks' before sitting down herself.

"So, I guess we're all here then?"

"What?"

"The 'outcast club.' You know, all the kids that nobody likes or they want to kill."

"Oh, yeah, i guess we are then."

"Come up with a better name, Kiba," sighed Tenten before she pulled her lunch out of her bag.

"She's right. 'Outcast club' sounds stupid."

"Drop then name then," said Shino calmly. "There isn't any reason to have one. It's not like we're a real club or anything. We're just a bunch of people that share a similar situation."

"Whatever," shrugged Naruto. "I'm just happy to be sitting with anyone that doesn't want to murder me."

"Paranoid emo much?"

"It's true," he replied. "I can't even count the number of times someone's tried to kill me over the last few years."

"W-why would anyone want to kill you?" stuttered Hinata.

Naruto shrugged, "No clue. They just do. I can't get a straight answer out of anyone."

"Oh..."

Awkward silence.

"So Kiba, what did Lord Hokage talk to you and Naruto about?"

"Nothing much really. He just wanted to know what happened and what we did. He asked if we knew why they went after Naruto, and if there was anything he may have done to provoke them."

"And?"

"And he told us not to go around causing trouble for the next few days, and that we had to go straight home after school, and that we'd have an escort to and from school, and that Naruto would have to stay at my house for a few days. That was it."

"That can't be everything," said Tenten sceptically.

"That's it."

"For real?"

"For real."

"Wonder why he was so interested..."

"Prolly because a mob of murderous thugs is roaming the streets looking for Naruto. He prolly thinks they'd do whatever they could to get ahold of him and that they might be dangerous for the other villagers."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Hey Naruto, I will trade you a chocolate pudding cup for your apple," said Lee.

"Sure," Naruto handed over his apple.

"Anyone want to trade something for tuna fish salad?"

"I got salami on white with mustard."

"Ehhhh, better than tuna fish"

"Says you. I personally hate anything on white with mustard. It's my little sister that likes white with mustard."

"Anyone want to trade chips? I got BBQ."

"Sour Cream and Onion okay?"

"Heck yeah!"

And the trading of lunch items went on for about ten more minutes untill everyone was happy with what they had. They spent the rest of the lunch break chatting about stuff; everything from which jutsu was giving who trouble, too wondering how many fights would break out before the end of the day.

------------------------------------------------------------

The final bell rang with little incident. Naruto, Kiba, Lee, and Tenten hang back, none of them wanting to risk getting attacked outside. "I don't know why you're worried Tenten. No one's out to get you," commented Kiba as he paced around the classroom.

"They are now. I heard a bunch of girls in the restroom during break planning ways to attack me after school."

"Great..." sighed Naruto. "This is why I always tried so hard not to get noticed. Everytime I try and make friends junk like this happens."

"Naruto, it is not your fault. Eventually they would have begun targeting Tenten because of her friendship with me. Remember, there are some out there that dislike me as much as they dislike you."

"Doubt it. Can you honestly say they want to see you dead?"

Lee shrugged.

"I'm the most hated person in the village. There's no one they want dead more than me," he said bitterly.

"It's not fair, the way they treat you. If they'd just take the time to get to know you then they'd see that there's no reason to hate you."

"Yeah well, as Iruka-sensei constantly says, 'life's not fair.'"

"I just wish I was wrong about that," said Iruka as he entered the classroom. "I wouldn't go out there if I were you," he said to Tenten and Lee. "I've already had to break up three fights and had to subdue a group of them that tried to sneak inside to get you all. I asked Genma and Kakashi to walk you home." He sighed, "I think it might be best for you two," he said to Kiba and Naruto, "To just stay home for the rest of the week. It's just not safe for either of you right now." He slumped into his near by chair. "I just don't get it. I mean seriously, why now? Of all times, what makes now so different?"

"You had to know it was comming," sighed Naruto. "I've been expecting it for years."

"I guess. Hopefully, they'll be here soon to take you all home. If not, we may be here awhile."

"That's okay, we don't have anywhere to be," grinned Naruto sarcastically.

------------------------------------------------------------

"What I don't get," moaned Kakashi as he walked down the hallway next to Genma, "Is why I have to walk the kids home. Why can't Iruka do it? For real, he a Chuunin for Kami's sake! He can handle it."

"Kakashi, the less you argue with him, the easier your life will be," replied Genma, bored. "You spend too much time and energy bemoaning how whipped he's got you. Just go with it. If you didn't like it you would have left by now; wouldn't you?"

Kakashi sighed, "I hate it when you're right..."

"Hehehe... you live with a guy like Asuma for awhile. He's so neurotic at times that I'd swear he's part shrew or something twitchy like that."

"Ehhh...I can live with neurotic. It's the 'I'm-a-mother-hen-thats-stuck-mothering-from-afar-and-I'm-gunna-take-my-frustration-out-on-Kakashi' attitude he gets every couple of weeks."

"Like I said, you stay, so you must like it."

Kakashi glared at him as he slid the door open.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Took you long enough," accused Iruka as he glared at the clock and then at Kakashi.

"Lighten up 'Ru. I had to wait forever for Guy to give his damn mission report before i could get in there."

"Ehhh... I have no excuse," shrugged Genma, nonchalantly.

"Whatever." He turned to the kids, "Lee and Tenten, you go with Genma. He lives on the side of town anyway. Naruto and Kiba, you're with Kakashi." He pulled Naruto close, "Do me a favor, remind him to grab a gallon of milk when he drops you off."

Naruto nodded, not even wanting to ask why Kakashi was supposed to get milk for Iruka.

"Okay then," grinned Genma, "Onward we go." Tenten and Lee followed a little behind him, waving goodbye at Naruto and Kiba.

"Might as well be going too," sighed Kakashi.

"Don't forget the milk!" called Iruka as Kakashi flinched.

------------------------------------------------------------


	2. Chapter 2

"So tell me Naruto," said Kakashi as they left the school building. "What exactly did you do to these kids that they'd want to kill you?"

"Awww come on! Why does everything think that it was something I did!?! I've never even seen half these people before! How the hell was I supposed to offend them or something!?!"

"Calm down kid," said Kakashi, hand up and in front of him in a classic 'calm-the-raging-beast' maneuver.

"Well, I'm sick of it. I haven't done anything to them!"

"Yeah, I had figured as much."

"Then why the hell did you ask?"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"What?"

"Nevermind. And you Inuzuka, what's your story?"

They turned left and started heading out toward the far side of the village. "I'm his friend. 'Nuff said."

"Hmmmmm... sure thats all?"

"I kicked a bunch of their asses so that they wouldn't kill Naruto."

You could practically hear the gears in Kakashi's brain whirling, trying to come up with a way to ask what was really on his mind.

And it only took Naruto about five minutes to realize it. He'd heard enough about the pervert that is Hatake Kakashi to figure out what was going on in the silver-haired skull. "You pervert! Just because you're like that doesn't mean the rest of us are!"

"What? It was just a thought!"

"Gross!!!"

Kiba stared, completely lost.

"Hey, don't knock untill you've tried it kid."

"Oh my GOD! I can't believe you'd even think about that! Dude, you're a freaking pedophile!"

"Oh calm down blonde. I was just kidding. Even I'm not that perverted."

Naruto shivered, completely grossed out. "I can not believe you'd even go there! That's just wrong to joke about!"

"Can either of you tell me what the hell you're talking about?"

Naruto shivered again, "Just don't ask Kiba. Better if you don't know."

"Okay... What exactly does pedophile mean?"

"Oh god, here we go..." sighed Kakashi as they crossed the bridge that separated the center of the village from the outlying areas.

"Kiba, trust me man. You don't wanna know. And don't go asking your mom. She'll prolly hunt Kakashi down and kill him."

"That bad?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Kiba inched away from Kakashi and much closer to Naruto.

Kakashi muttered something under his breath.

"Freaking pervert," growled Naruto. '_Shoulda asked for Genma...'_

They turned onto the road that leads up to Kiba's house. "Finally..." 

"Hey, I didn't ask to be your escort."

"Whatever," he glared at the Jounin as he turned around to leave. "Don't forget the milk."

"Yeah, yeah..." he grumbled as he walked off.

"He's so going to forget the milk," giggled Naruto as he and Kiba entered the house.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Hello Naruto," said Mrs. Inuzuka as they entered the kitchen. "I see you managed to make it in one piece. Who'd they send as the escort?"

"Kakashi, ma'am."

"That pervert? Iruka actually trusted him to escort you?"

"Unfortunately."

"Well, that must have been... interesting."

"You could say that."

"Well then," she turned to her son, "Take him up stair and help him settle in. It's your night to feed the dogs, so don't forget. If Naruto's willing to help, you'll get done fast enough to have some time to play."

"Yes mother," he said as he dragged Naruto upstairs. "Damn, I was hoping she'd forget it was my night to feed them all..." he grumbled as he closed the door.

Akamaru, who'd been asleep the entire day, chose that moment to wake up. "Arf?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to slam it."

"Grrrr..."

"Don't calm me baka!"

Akamaru jumped down and stumbled sleepily onto his bed.

"Grrrr means baka?"

"No, but he was thinking it."

"Reading your dog's mind?"

"It's not hard. Akamaru and I have been together so long that we always know what the other is thinking."

"Oh," said Naruto as he dropped his pack next to Kiba's unused desk. "Dude, you're room is freaking huge."

"Naw, this is nothing. You should see Hana's room. Makes mine look like a broom closet."

"Kiba, your room is bigger than my living room and kitchen combined. It's practically the size of my apartment. It's freaking huge."

"Damn, you weren't kidding when you said you lived alone. You actually have your own apartment?"

"Duh, where else would I live?"

"I don't know...with one of the sensei's I would have guessed."

"Well, I was supposed to be living with Iruka at first, but then he had to move into a smaller apartment so there wasn't enough room."

"Oh, so you lived with him before?"

"Technically, no. But I used to spend all my time over there."

"Oh, so how long have you been living on your own?"

"Since I was eight."

"That young!"

"Yep, ever since Iruka moved. It was either that, or camp out on his couch every night. And honestly, I don't mind bwing on my own at all. Especially since Kakashi's started hanging out so much over there. It's just weird being alone with the two of them."

"I guess..."

"Anyway, you're mom said you had to feed the dogs, right?"

"Yeah, and she's knows I hate doing it which is why she's making me do it with you here."

"Well, at least with me here it'll go twice as fast, right?"

"True, true. Come on, if we hurry we'll finish before dinner."

"How long does it normally take you?"

"Let's see...usually about two hours or so."

"Two hours!"

"You have to round all of them up first, and then you have to get them into their separate areas, and then you have to drag those heavy bags of food around, and then you have to make sure you get the right amount of food in every bowl, and then you have to make sure they don't try and take food from each other. And that's on a good night," he added when he saw the look of disbelief on Naruto's face. "And given how the day's been going, it's not gunna be a good night."

--------------------------------------------------------

Four hours later...

"Told ya it wasn't gunna be a good night..." panted Kiba as he shoved the last bag of food back onto it's proper shelf. "I knew there was no way they were gunna behave with you here."

Naruto grunted, too tired to say anything coherent.

"Anyway, mom'll have dinner ready by now," he said as Naruto's stomache growled.

"Hope there's something left..."

"No worries, the one who feeds the dogs always get left plenty of food. Mom makes sure of it."

"Thank god."

They slumped into the kitchen and collapsed in their chairs.

"I see you've finished."

"Yes mother."

"I hope you didn't tire yourselves out too much."

"Well, I don't think I've ever had a workout quiet like that before. Now I can see how he eats so much and stays so thin," he replied, amazed at how fast Kiba had attacked the plate of food his mother had placed in front of him.

She smiled and placed the plate of food she saved for Naruto in front of him, "Kiba does enjoy his food."

Naruto didn't hear that last comment. He was too busy staring at the enormous plate of food she'd just set down. He'd never seen so much food at one time before. There was a good reason why he'd always been so scrawny.

"Something wrong Naruto?"

"Wrong? No way! I've just never be given this much food before in my life!" he replied joyously. "Thank you so much!" he finished before diving into the mountain.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Dude, your mom is awesome!" said Naruto as he plopped heavily onto a beanbag chair in Kiba's room. "I've never met an adult, other than Iruka, that would even consider feeding me, not to mention a feast like that!"

"Feast? Geeze Naruto, you really haven't had a decent meal in awhile, have you?"

"Not since Easter at Iruka's, no."

"That's an every day kinda meal around here. You've gotta be here for Thanksgiving. Your stomach'll be so full you won't be able to walk right for three days."

"_Daaaaaaamn_," whistled Naruto. "I didn't even think that was possible."

"Well, seeing as how you've managed to get on my mom's good side so fast, you're gunna get fattened up. She's a much a mother hen as Iruka is."

"Sweet," he grinned happily. "Any chance of convincing her to let me move in?"

"Play your cards right and maybe."

"Yayness!"

Kiba blinked, "Yayness? Did you really just say 'yayness'?"

Naruto blushed.

"Dude, I'm gunna steal that from you."

"Go for it. I don't mind."

"Thanks, I've been looking for a new word." Akamaru chose that moment to wake back up and yawn. Kiba smiled and reached down to scratch his ears.

"Hey Kiba, what's it like have a dog?"

"Haven't you ever had a pet?"

"No. I've never had the room. It's impossible to keep a decent sized dog in an apartment, and I really can't stand the attitude that most of the smaller breeds have. I mean, if I ever found one as calm as Akamaru then it woulda been cool, but I never did. And cat's just don't like me too much. No idea why. I've never been a fan of birds and reptiles, and I never saw the point to fish."

"That sucks man. I can't see ever being without Akamaru. We were so young when we met that we've never really been without each other."

"Must be nice, having a best friend like him."

"Yeah," he agreed. "He's the best friend I've ever had. Prolly the best friend I'll ever have. I've never known anyone, human or canine, thats as loyal and understanding as he is. There's no secretes between us. I tell him about everything and he actually listens."

"Too bad he can't talk back..."

Kiba laughed, "Akamaru can talk. Well, to me and the rest of my clan anyway. My clan's worked with dog's for so long that we've learned their language. Our dog's can understand human language, some of the older one's even speak it. And we've learned how to understand them too. Granted, a good chunk of canine communication is nonverbal, which is why most people can't understand it. You need heightened senses to pick up on it."

"Awww...I was gunna ask you to teach me..."

"It's really more feeling it out then learning and actual set language. You just have to work closely with them for a while and you'll pick up on it."

"Oh... okay."

"Anyway, it's getting kinda late. Let's get ready for bed."

"Do we have too? I mean come on, no school for the rest of the week! Let's stay up all night!"

"I never said anything about sleep, did I? I'm just saying it's a hell of alot more comfortable in this house in pajama's, trust me."

"But I don't have any... I've always just kinda slept in a t-shirt and my boxers..."

"Ehhh...you're only a little shorter than I am. You'd fit in an old pair of mine." He went to his closet and slid the door just far enough to slip in. He shoved himself inside and dissapeared from view. Naruto could hear Kiba grunting and kicking at stuff as he worked his way around inside. "Ahh-hah!" called Kiba from inside the closet. More grunting and a few mild curses as Kiba tried to extract himself. He just managed to get a hand on the door before he got himself stuck fast. "Ummm Naruto...a little help?"

Naruto flipped out of the bean bag and went to the door. He grabbed Kiba's shoulder and tugged. Nothing. "What the hell? What are stuck in, glue?"

"Just keep trying," he replied struggling.

Naruto pulled as hard as he could and still nothing happened. "Kiba, I can't pull you out unless I get you untangled." He reached over to shove the door further.

"WAIT!"

Naruto pushed and the mass of stuff in Kiba's closet exploded outward.

Chaos ensues. The entire room if covered in a foot deep layer of stuff. Naruto was buried under a massive amount of Kiba's stuff. Kiba, who was still tangled, managed to at least get one arm out and started digging for Naruto. He'd been buried under the mass of stuff enough times to know that he had about five minutes before Naruto's oxygen supply ran out. "He rooted around for about a minute before he felt Naruto's hair. He followed the hair down to the blonde's face, and now sure of which was to reach, pushed down far enough to grab Naruto's shoulder. Naruto used the arm to pull himself up far enough to get his head above the mass.

"Holy hell Kiba, how much stuff was in that closet?"

"I haven't cleaned it out since I was five..." he sighed.

"Baka."

"I know, i know... I'm just too lazy to get in there and do it already."

"Well, looks like you'll have plenty of time now..." He pushed his arm up and pulled himself free. He sat, breathing heavily for a moment before turning to Kiba and freeing him from the binds of old clothing. 

"I really don't want too..."

"Don't have much of a choice," he said as he stared at an article of clothing that appeared to be moving.

Kiba sat up and rubbed his sore shoulder. "Ugh...I think I sprained my arm..."

"Oh no you don't," came a voice from the door. Kiba's sister Hana was stander there, glancing at them. "You're not getting out of cleaning this mess now."

"Go away Hana. I'm really not in the mood."

"Keep that up and I'll tell mom about this little incident. Or the last one. Or the one before that..."

"I get it! Now go away!"

She grinned evily, waved, and walked off, closing the door behind her.

"I hate it when she's evil like that..." he grumbled as he shoveled through the mess, looking for Akamaru.

"He's over there," said Naruto, pointing at a wiggling mass on the bed.

Akamaru whined and Kiba stumbled over to extract him. "I gotcha," he said soothingly. He picked him up and shoved everything off the edge of his bed. He placed him down. "There ya go buddy." Akamaru barked and sat down.

"Well, we should probably get this cleaned up."

"Just shove it all back in there. I'll deal with it tomorrow"

"Fine by me," agreed Naruto as he grabbed handfuls of material and threw it back into the the closet.

Twenty minutes later Kiba was struggling to shove the to closet door closed again. They'd gotten everything back, but it was trying desperately to get back out of the overcrowded space. "Come on damn it...close already..."

Naruto stood next to him, shoving as hard as he could, "How did you get it closed last time...?"

"I don't remember..." he grunted. The door snapped closed. "Finally!!!" He sighed as he collapsed on the floor.

"Ugh... my arms hurt..."

"Mine too..."

"I guess we are gunna need to sleep tonight... If only to get away from the throbbing arms and sore hands..."

"Yeah..." He reached over and grabbed the pj's he'd retrieved. "Here. These look like they're about your size."

"Thanks," he said as he took them. He stripped off his shirt and slid the top on. "Wow, what are these made out of?"

"I have no idea, but it feels really good."

"Yeah..." he nodded as he stripped off his shorts. He slid on the bottoms and sat back down. "Any chance I can keep these?"

"Take 'um. I outgrew them years ago. Hell, you can have as many as you like. Better you have 'um then throwing them away."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Naruto yawned tiredly and he sat down on the edge of Kiba's bed. "What time is it?"

Kiba glanced at his watch, "About 9:30. Why?"

"No reason, just curious." He leaned back and yawned again. "Well, other than going to sleep, what d'ya want to do?"

"I dunno. I'd settle for a movie and a comfortable bed."

"I can live with that," he smiled and grabbed a pillow.

--------------------------------------------------------


	3. Chapter 3

AN: God i need to get my brother to start beta-ing my work again. I cannot believe how many times I've gotten the spelling of names wrong lately. And its all because I've been forced to use a crappy spell check that thinks i misspell my own name half the time. So yeah, apologies for all the misspelled names.

Begin rant.

To those of you out there that have been getting on me about me writing the characters sounding like they're from Texas or from the deep south, (and there seem to be quiet a few popping up lately) trust me, if I wanted them to sound like they were from the south, ya'll would have no hope in hell of understanding what the hell they are saying unless you, like me, are actually from Texas or one of the neighboring states.

Believe it or not, we are not all illiterate hicks here. The vast majority of us can actually communicate in a way that is understandable to 95 of the rest of the country.

No offense intended to the the rest of the readers who don't automatically take off about 100 IQ points for having a southern accent.

End of rant.

Anyway, here's the next chapter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hmmmmmmm... I see your enjoying being able to sleep in, eh?" said Kiba's mother as the boys entered the kitchen sometime around 1 PM the next day. "Or have you been up all night and just now realized the sun was up?"

"Bit of both actually," yawned Kiba. "We had trouble finding him something to wear last night."

"I noticed he was wearing a pair of your pj's. Anyway, you've missed lunch, so you'll just have to settle for sandwiches"

"S'okay..." he yawned and shoved Naruto back into a standing position. The blonde had nearly fallen back asleep leaning on his shoulder.

"And I want that closet cleaned out by tomorrow night," she added as an afterthought.

"Damn Hana..." he grumbled as he dragged a still nearly asleep Naruto over to a chair at the table.

"He not sleep well?"

"Actually, he was out like a light before I was. I think he was just warn out from everything that's been going on the last few days."

"Can't blame him. Poor thing's been through hell."

"Ya know, I thought you didn't like him."

"It not that I don't like him," she explained, "I was just cautious. I knew the other parents were being too harsh in their treatment of him, but I just didn't know him well enough to defend him. Now that I've actually met him, and see what kind of kid he is, I know I can trust him. That, and anyone that you can bond with that fast and strongly has got to be someone that I'd like."

"So, any chance of you telling me why they hate him so much?"

"Not untill you're older."

"Damn..."

"Wha's goin' on?" mumbled Naruto sleepily as he finally woke up for real. "How'd I ge' down here?"

"Geeze...heavy sleeper much?"

"Not usually," he yawned. "What time is it?"

"Just after one. What would you like on your sandwich Naruto?"

"Sandwich?" he blinked.

"You two missed lunch already and this is all I have right now."

"Oh..." he yawned. "Anything is fine with me. I'm not super picky."

"You sure? I'm almost positive I can scrounge up something in here."

"No, no. That's alright. I'm honesty happy with anything."

"Okay then," she conceded and started making the sandwiches.

"So do I really have to clean out the closet, or are were you just joking?"

Glare.

"All right, all right. Can't blame a guy for asking."

"Just eat your sandwiches. Just because you can't go to school for a week doesn't mean you're going to get to lay around all day."

"Awwww..." they groaned as she set down the plate of sandwiches.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Nani!!! Why do we have to train for an hour!?"

"You're not going to neglect your studies this week. I want you to at least attempt to practice something while your here."

"But..."

"No buts. You train or you clean. Simple as that."

"Awwwwww..."

"Come on Kiba. It'll be fun. I've never actually had a training partner before. Well, a willing one anyway."

"Good luck, Naruto," smiled Kiba's mother as she went back inside.

"Great..." grumbled Kiba. "Here I was hoping for a little vacation..."

"Lighten up. I know lots of ways to stretch out the least amount of training to take up the maximum amount of time."

"Do they work?"

"I can take a twenty minute session and stretch it out to almost two hours."

Kiba grinned ear to ear.

Hour and a half later...

"Mom! We're finished training!"

"See, that wasn't so bad. You even stayed out longer than I told you too."

"Yep. We're just gunna go clean up and take a break, okay?"

"Sure. Take a half hour to rest. Then I want you to try tackling your closet."

"Awwwwwww, but i don't wanna..."

"Kiba..." she growled warningly.

He sighed and nodded. He turned to Naruto, "Come on, let's go on up." Naruto nodded and they headed for the stairs. "I can't believe how pathetic your clones are..." said Kiba as they dissapeared up the stairs.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Ugh..." blinked Naruto as he threw his shirt as far away as possible. "That thing reeks!"

"Tell me about it. My poor nose is watering. I'm surprised mom didn't take you outside and hose you down."

"Worst part is, we barely did anything out there."

"I know... but it's hot out there today."

"Right... I can't wait for the weekend. It's supposed to cool off finally."

"I hope so," sighed Kiba as he tugged his sticky shirt off. "At this rate, I'm gunna have to do laundry a week early."

"Week early? Kiba, how often do you normally do laundry?"

"Every other three weeks or so. Why?"

Naruto stared, "Dude, I have to do laundry every other day. How the hell can you have so much to wear?"

Kiba glared at him.

Naruto blushed, "Oh...right...the closet...I forgot."

"Airhead..." Kiba muttered quietly. He shot a seething glare at said closet. "Don't worry about clothes. If I found pj's that will fit you in there, then I can prolly find some shirts and stuff that will too."

"Thanks. Hopefully Iruka can get things quieted down enough for me to be able to dash home to get some of my own stuff. Although the chances of the villagers not burning down my apartment are pretty slim."

"Burning down your apartment? For real? You really think they'd do that?"

"No question. There's a reason why I had been living in the same building as Iruka for so long. There was no way they'd destroy a building with an academy teacher living in it. That's why I got there hell outta there when Iruka moved. His new landlord hates me, so I couldn't get an apartment in his building this time, but the one next door had one open and he agreed to let me live there."

"Okay, this whole 'Death-to-Naruto' thing that the village has for you is getting kinda old already. I mean come on, what the hell could you have done that was so unbelievably horrible that they want you dead so bad?" 

"Not a clue," he sighed as he pulled on one of Kiba's too large shirts. "If I did, then it wouldn't be such a problem."

"True." He sent another seething glare at the closet. "Ready?" he sighed.

"Yeah...as much as I can be."

Kiba moved to the closet door and grabbed the edge. Naruto moved behind him and braced himself for the ensuing explosion.

"Three...

Two...

One..."

He shoved the door open...

Everything goes black...

Muffled cries...

Unintelligible shouts...

Colorful expletives...

Kiba drags a very thick and heavy hand-knitted sweater off his face and finds himself near the top of the mountain of clothing and junk that was smothering him. He drags himself up on top and attempts to catch his breath. "Naruto...?" he calls weakly, his lungs still oxygen deprived. "Naruto, where are you?"

More muffled cries...

Kiba half walks/ half drags himself to were he thinks he hears the cries comming from. "Naruto?"

Very faintly, "Kiba... help... can't breathe..."

"I'm comming, hang on!" He shoves his arm down into the tangled heap and tried to feel for Naruto. He roots around for about half a minute before he feels what might just be hair. He grabs a fistful and tugs, hard. Hearing a muffled scream of pain he calls out, "Find my hand! I'll pull you out!"

Seconds later he feels Naruto's hand clamp around his wrist and pulls for all he's worth.

Naruto shoots out of the death-trap and onto Kiba. He lays there for a moment, panting. "Thanks..." he mutters weakly as he rolls off. "I thought I was gunna suffocate there for a minute."

"So did I... Somehow I ended up near the top and managed to get myself out."

"Good thing you did," he panted as he sat up. "I don't think I could have gotten out by myself."

"You would have, just woulda taken a few minutes." He cracked his knuckles and rubbed his sore wrist. "Was that a scarf that was wrapped around your hair?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Because it felt like it was trying to move up my arm."

"I wouldn't doubt it. It was trying to worm its was down my head before you got a hold of it."

The spot that Naruto had been pulled from wriggled.

The boys stared.

"Am I...?"

"No..."

"Ummmmm..."

The scarf flew out of the hole and attacked the boys. It wrapped itself around Kiba's throat and started strangling him. Naruto grabbed the loose end and pulled as hard as he could, which only made things worse by making the loops tighter. Kiba clawed at it as best he could, but the angle was awkward, so he couldn't do too much. They struggled frantically, all the while Kiba was beginning to turn shades of red.

"Damn it!" called Naruto as he trying to unwind the killer scarf. "Let go of him you piece of crap!"

Kiba was now only able to flail and gasp, slowly starting to turn purple.

Naruto dashed as best he could to the bed and tried to dig out his kunai holster. "Come on, where the hell are you," he cursed under his breath as he dug. His hand closed over the lip of the pouch and he pulled it up and out. Flipping it open, he grabbed his last kunai and ran back to Kiba. Kiba was now a sickly shade of blotched purple and and barely struggling anymore. Gripping the kunai by the blade, he slipped the point under the edge of a loop and sawed down. The loop pulled away and he was able to work it off. He cut it with difficulty and started on the next loop. He repeated this three more times before the thing loosened to a point were Kiba could start to get some air. He dropped the kunai, grabbed the remaining loops and with all the strength he possessed, tore the murderous thing off Kiba's throat and hurled it against the wall. He grabbed the kunai and threw it at the thing, pinning killer scarf to the wall. It struggled lamely against the embedded knife for a moment, then hung limp.

Kiba lay there gasping for breath. The color slowly returned to his face and he managed to cough out a feeble, "Thanks."

"Guess we shoulda had some weapons with us..." panted Naruto, who was almost as out of breath as Kiba had been.

Kiba laughed weakly and coughed. "Yeah...woulda been smart..." 

"Just promise me that you'll never leave anything that long again."

"Deal."

"Anything else in here we need to worry about?"

"No idea..." He sat up shakily. "I haven't got a clue what most of this stuff is. Who knows whats gunna attack us next."

"Great..." sighed Naruto.

"Let's just take a break for a little while..."

"Good idea..."

They crawled across the mountain and to the door. Naruto shoved it open and they climbed down into the hallway. He helped the still shaky Kiba down the stairs and onto a couch. He plopped down next to him, "That's a story you'll be telling for the rest of your life."

"Right... Fifty years from now I'm gunna be telling my grandkids all about how I was nearly strangled to death by a killer scarf."

"What's this about a killer scarf?" said Hana as she entered the room, a backpack hanging from one shoulder.

"Nothing sis... just cleaning."

"Check your neck idiot. You have lynch marks all over it."

"Nani! No way!" he protested.

She tossed him her mirror. He flipped it open and checked his neck. Deep bruises were starting to form all over the tanned area. "Great..." he sighed miserably. "Mom's gunna kill me..."

"Why would I do that?" she called as she closed the back door. She looked around the wall and toward the boys. Her eyes widened considerable when she saw the state of her son. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Killer scarf..." he replied weakly.

"Damn it Kiba! That's why I tell you to clean that damn closet more often!"

"I know... I'm sorry..."

She turned to Naruto, "I take it you got the thing off him?"

The blonde blinked, "How'd you know?"

She smiled and nodded at his hand, "You cut your hand on the kunai."

Naruto blinked and looked down at his hand. It was covered in blood. "Holy crap...I didn't even notice." He grabbed his hand to try and staunch the bleeding.

"Come on," said Kiba's mother, motioning toward the kitchen. "I have the first-aid kit in here."

Naruto jumped up and went into the kitchen to be treated. Kiba, rubbing his sore neck, followed with a glare at his sister.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Rinse it under the faucet," said Mrs. Inuzuka as she unpacked the kit. Naruto nodded and turned on the water. He rinsed his hand under the cold water and got his first decent look at his injury. It didn't look too deep. "Come here and let me take a look." He sat down in the chair she was indicating and placed his hand on the cloth she'd laid down. "Hmmm..." she muttered, carefully inspecting the gash. "You probably don't need stitches, but this is deep enough to need to be checked by a real doctor." She opened a pack of gauze and pressed the mass against the oozing laceration. "Hold that," she said as she reached for the roll of adhesive tape. She tore off a length and used it to secure the gauze. "That'll hold untill I can get you to the hospital." She smiled, "Okay, now let me take a look at my idiot of a son." Naruto nodded and got up, only to be replaced almost immediately by Kiba. His mom tilted his head back to get a better look. "Ehhh... not too bad...you'll definately be sore for the next few days..." She patted his head, "Best thing for that would be an ice pack." He nodded and stood got up. "Alrighty then..." said the matron Inuzuka as she repacked the first-aid kit. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital." Naruto nodded and moved towards the door.

"What about me?" asked Kiba.

"What about you? You're comming, aren't you?"

"Oh... yeah... of course..."

--------------------------------------------------------

"Well...it is deep enough to were we could give him stitches..." muttered the doctor as he examined Naruto's hand. "The cut is very clean...and the edges look good..." He turned and looked at Mrs. Inuzuka, "What did you say did this?"

"A kunai, wasn't it Naruto?"

The boy nodded.

"Well then...It'll definately need to be cleaned again. No telling what kind of junk was living on that thing." He scribbled something on his chart. "I'll have the nurse clean it and then I have a surgeon come down and see what he thinks about stitches. I just don't want to use them in this case if I can help it."

"Why not?" asked Naruto meekly.

"Stitches in the hands are tricky business, even under normal circumstances. Any kind of mistake in the placement or depth of the stitch and you can cause serious damage to the intricate framework of the hand. This is made even worse by the fact that you are a ninja-in-training and therefore need the full use of said hands. I'm just not qualified to make the final decision in this case."

"Oh..." he said quietly.

The doctor smiled and left.

"Geeze... scare the living daylights outta your patient much..." grumbled Kiba.

"Hey, I'm just glad he didn't throw me out the second he saw me. The last time I came here, the doc grabbed me by my collar and hurled me out the door."

"Damn..." blinked Kiba. "That's horrible!"

"Ehhh... I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't let them treat you like that! It's not fair and its not right!"

"Kiba, I don't have much of a choice."

Kiba looked to his mom, "They shouldn't be able to do that! Why doesn't anyone stand up for him!?"

"Not here," she warned as the door opened.

The nurse entered carrying a pan and a bottle. She set them down on the rolling table and pulled it over to where Naruto sat. "Hello, I'm here to clean the wound."

Naruto nodded.

"Place your hand in the pan with your palm facing upward."

Naruto did so and the nurse opened the bottle. "This will be cold, and it might sting a little." The blonde nodded again and took a deep breath. The nurse tilted the opened bottle and a vile smelling brown liquid poured out. When the liquid hit his hand, he gasped loudly. Whatever the liquid was, it really was cold as ice and burned like nothing else he'd ever felt. The closet he could attribute to it was the time a bunch of villagers took turns dunking his head in vats of freezing cold and scalding hot water. He fought back a cry of pain and settled for watery eyes and clinching his other fist so hard that it felt like he'd broken skin.

"Almost finished," consoled the nurse as she recapped the bottle. "It has to sit for at least a minute before I can wash it off."

"What...what is it...?" gasped Naruto.

"It's a mixture of iodine and alcohol. That's why its burns so much."

Naruto nodded and bit his lip to keep from groaning.

A minute passes ever so slowly...

"Okay..." said the nurse as she retrieve a bottle of water. "Time to rinse it off." She opened the bottle and poured it out. Naruto had to bite back an whole new array of yelps. The water was just as cold as the iodine mixture had been, but at least it didn't burn as badly. "There we go," she said as she opened a package of gauze to use to dry the area. "Okay then," she instructed as she stood up," hold that there untill the surgeon gets here." A nod from Naruto was all the response she got. She scribbled on his chart and left.

"Yeeeeeooouuuch!!!!" he called out after she closed the door. "Dear God, that's painful!!!"

"Baby..." chuckled Kiba.

"You try having liquid icy-fire poured all over your hand and then follow that up with a nice ice water bath and see how you like it!"

"I'm just teasing you."

"It's your fault I'm here in the first place!"

"I know it is," said Kiba.

The door opened before Naruto could say anything else.

"Hello, I was told that there was someone that might need stitches here?" The surgeon entered the room and glanced around. "Ahhh... here we go." He sat down across from Naruto and glanced over his chart. "Hmmmmmm..." He looked up at Naruto, "A kunai, eh?"

Naruto nodded.

"Training accident?"

"Not quiet."

"Eh?"

"Killer scarf..." he muttered.

"Ahhhhh," nodded the surgeon. "I've had a few of those before too." He smiled comfortingly, "Let's just take a look at your hand." He reached down and took Naruto hand. He turned it so as to get a better look at the the injury. "Hmmm..." He looked back up at Naruto, "Okay now, I want you to extend your fingers for me." Naruto extended his fingers as far as he could before it hurt. "Okay... now make a fist." Naruto complied. "Okay then..." he took out a pen and clicked it so that the tip was out. "I want you to tell me when and if you can't feel this pen." Naruto nodded and the surgeon dragged the pen lightly across the palm of his hand, up and down the front, back, and side of each finger, and over the back of his hand. "Good, good..." he muttered when he finished. "No loss of sensation anywhere..." He clicked the pen again and put it back in his pocket. "Well then... there's no major damage to anything important, and you still have full sensation and usage. The best thing for you is a a good stiff bandage and to keep usage of your hand to a minimum for about a week or so. I want you to come back on Tuesday for a follow-up exam and to have it cleaned properly again." He scribbled a bunch of notes on the chart and stood up. "Keep the wound clean and dry, and at the first sign of trouble I want you back here. Like I said, the wound isn't bad right now, but it could get nasty if it gets infected or anything."

"Alright."

"The nurse will be back in a second to bandage your hand," he said as he pulled out a small note-pad. "I'm going to give you a prescription for some pain-killers just in case. I doubt you'll need them, but better safe then sorry." He handed the prescription to Mrs. Inuzuka and left.

"Thank God it's almost over."

--------------------------------------------------------

"Well, that was fun..." he sighed as they exited the hospital a half hour later. They'd insisted that he wear his arm in a sling for a few days, so now he was forced to carry his bandaged hand up across his chest.

"Could have been worse. They could've told you that you really did need stitches."

"True..."

"Come on boys," said Mrs. Inuzuka. "We're going to run by the academy really quickly. I haven't had time to call Iruka and tell him what's happened."

"Here we go again..." sighed Naruto sadly. "Iruka-sensei's gunna be unbearable."

"He's might be a bit of a mother hen, but he can't be all that bad."

"Wanna bet," sighed Naruto as the rounded the corner.

The walked in silence the rest of the way to the academy.

--------------------------------------------------------

Thankfully, Iruka was on break when they got there. Mrs. Inuzuka went ahead to talk to the teacher first. Naruto and Kiba stood outside in the hallway waiting for about five minutes before anything happened.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE CUT HIS HAND OPEN!?!"

Door swings open.

"Naruto! Where are you!?!"

Naruto blanched and tried to blend into the wall.

Kiba had dissapeared the moment he heard Iruka scream.

Iruka moved in front of the boy and glared at him. "Didn't I tell you not to go and do something stupid!?!"

"But Iruka-sensei, it wasn't my fault! The killer scarf..."

"Killer scarf!?!" interrupted Iruka. "Do you really believe that I'd fall for something that lame!?"

"It's true!!!" countered the boy weakly.

"It really is," agreed Kiba's mother. "I told them to clean out Kiba's closet. You know how Kiba is, he never cleans up after himself. You never know what's going to come out of there."

Iruka stared at Mrs. Inuzuka. "Did you see this killer scarf?"

"Yes," she lied.

"Oh... Well then..." he said, confused. "I just thought, given their history with lying..."

"Come on Iruka-sensei, do you really think I'd stoop so low as killer scarfs in this weather?" he said sarcastically. "Give me some credit."

No response.

"Awwww, come on!"

"Okay, okay Naruto. I'll give you that." He smiled and changed the subject back to Naruto's hand, "Let me see it."

Naruto hesitantly slid his arm out of the sling. Iruka's arm snapped out and grabbed Naruto by the wrist. "How exactly did you manage to do this???"

"I was holding the kunai to tightly I guess..." murmured Naruto.

"Haven't I taught you anything?" said Iruka as he let go of the blonde's wrist.

"I know...and I know I should have been paying more attention to how I was holding it..."

"Don't you apologize to me for this. I'd rather you cut your hand open saving your friend then in a fit of idiocy during a training session."

Naruto grinned, "So you aren't mad?"

"Why would I be mad? I just worry about you. You know that."

Naruto nodded.

"Good. Now, how about we go find Kiba and you two can tell me exactly what happened?"

"Sure thing Iruka-sensei!"


	4. Chapter 4

It was two days later before Iruka and the other teachers felt it was safe for Naruto to even attempt a dash back to his apartment for his much needed supplies.

"Okay boys," began Iruka. "This is gunna have to be a really fast grab and run kinda thing. I managed to get permission for Kakashi, Genma, and Raidou to be your escort. We've had Asuma and Hayate on lookout duty all day, and they haven't seen anything unusual. But that doesn't mean the area won't warp into a battle zone the second you get there."

"Come on Iruka-sensei! You can't honestly think that would happen? Do you?"

"Kiba, I'm sorry, but you really have no idea just how much a good percentage of this village hates Naruto. You come from a very well liked and honestly, quiet powerful clan. No on has ever had any reason to dislike you, nor have you ever had to deal with the kind of blind anger and fear that Naruto does on a near daily basis. Believe me when I say this, we must be prepared for anything here."

Kiba turned to Naruto, "What do you think is gunna happen?"

"Prolly everything Iruka-sensei said. And prolly alot more."

"Am I the only one here not convinced that there's gunna be full scale rioting when we get to Naruto's house?"

"Yes," replied his mother, who was standing behind them. "That's why I'm going to make sure you don't get hurt in the process. Haven a clan head there will be almost as good a deterrent as having all the Jounin and Chunnin guards."

"Pessimists..."

"Realists, Kiba. Learn the difference."

"Whatever."

"Come on guys, don't start fighting now."

The door slides open.

"Iruka, let's go. Asuma and Hayate just called in the all clear," said Genma.

Iruka nodded and turned back to the kids and Kiba's mother. "You heard the man, let's go."

--------------------------------------------------------

"Asuma," whispered Iruka into his radio, "Any change?"

"_Negative_," came the garbled reply.

"What about you Raidou?"

"_Same_."

"Am I imagining it, or is it way too quiet for this part of town at this time of day..."

"I noticed it too," said Genma, looking around. He elbowed Kakashi, who's head snapped up and he glared at Genma for disturbing his reading. Genma glared at him and he sighed. He lept up onto a nearby roof and darted off to investigate the surrounding area.

"You think that was safe, sending Kakashi off like that?"

"Even with him gone, there's still enough of us to protect him should something happen."

"You sure about that?"

"Three Chunnin and the head of the Inuzuka clan? Definitely."

"I'd feel better if I had a few more of the dogs here."

"Akamaru's here!"

"And he's just a pup. Like you. Now be quiet!"

"But!"

"I said be quiet Kiba!"

"Come on Kiba," begged Naruto. "Just listen to your mom and Iruka for once. Please?"

Kiba sighed and nodded, "Fine..."

Naruto ginned.

CRACK!!!

Time slows down.

A tree branch falls slowly, heavily to the ground.

Everyone reaches for kunai and shuriken.

Kakashi's was back and gripping his hitai-ate, ready to pull it up and reveal his Sharingan.

Sounds of leaves rustling, branches creaking, people jumping in the trees.

"Told ya so..." sighed Naruto as Kiba stared unbelievingly around.

A lone figure appears standing on the street, just ahead of the fallen branch.

"Who are you!?!" demanded Iruka.

"I come for the demon child. Give him to me, and you will not be harmed."

"That demon child has a name!" called Kiba, always ready to defend his friend, even if it's not the smartest thing to do at that exact second.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Yes, I know this. But an abomination like that does not deserve such a human name."

"You...!" was all Kiba got out before his mother grabbed him by the collar. "Shut up idiot! Just stay next to Naruto and be quiet!"

"You are of the Inuzuka clan, correct?"

"I am."

"Why do you protect this demon child? Your clan suffered heavy losses because of him."

"My clan suffered because of the Nine-tailed Fox Kyuubi. Not because of Naruto. I, unlike many of you, understand this difference."

"There is no difference," replied the man in the same calm tones he'd used through the entire conversation. "Now I shall repeat myself only once. Give me the demon child."

"No!"

The man sighed, "So be it."

Dead silence.

No one moved.

POOF!!! X's 20

"Crap..." groaned Genma.

"I really hope those are clones..." sighed Raidou.

"Asuma, you and Hayate might want to get over here... This is gunna get ugly," Iruka called over the radio before all hell broke loose.

Genma, Raidou, Iruka, and Kakashi dissapeared in the blink of an eye and were already battling the attackers before Kiba and Naruto even realized it. Kiba's mother had a whistle out and was summoning more of the clan's dogs. "Kiba! You and Akamaru are gunna have to fight. Take the soldier pills!"

Kiba grabbed for the offered pills and tossed one into Akamaru's mouth.

"Naruto, stay behind me!"

He nodded and caught a glimpse of Kiba and Akamaru taking on one of the enemy men. "Whoa... what's with Akamaru's fur?" he blurted before having to dodge a shower of shuriken. He rolled to the dirt and under a parked cart. He monkey-crawled out the other side and jumped back into the fray.

"Kakashi! Behind you!" called Genma as he slashed at a the arm that was threatening to impale him on a broken tree limb.

"I see it!" he called back as he ducked and landed in the water of the flowing creek. His hands where a blur of movement before he'd even stood up. "Water Style! Giant Tsunami!"

"Too much!" called Raidou as he grabbed Genma and dragged him up high into the nearest roof.

"Idiot!" yelled Iruka as he grabbed Naruto and pulled him out of harm's way.

"You're not trying to kill them moron!" Came Kiba's mother's angry yell as she bodily threw her son and his dog in the air and into the same tree at Iruka and Naruto.

"Geeze, I see Kakashi's already started," yelled Asuma as he darted onto the roof with Raidou and Genma.

"Don't remind us. And what the hell took you guys so long!?!"

Hayate coughed, "There were about ten more that had stationed themselves down the street to wait for you, but we took care of them."

"Damn it! Where'd they get so many people? And who the hell are they for that matter!?"

"Fight now, ask later!" called Genma as he lept down and back into the fight.

"Earth Style! Earth Cave Imprisonment!"

"Get off the ground!!!"

"Too late!"

"Crap!!!!"

"Fall back!!!"

--------------------------------------------------------

They regrouped a few minutes later at a nearby park.

"Damn it, who are they! There's no way in hell that many Konoha ninja would ambush us like that!"

"I don't know, but this is bad. We lost Hayate and Genma to that Earth Cave Imprisonment Jutsu."

"Asuma, you're the fastest after Kakashi, I need you to raise the alarm. I have a feeling that these bastard are here for more than just Naruto."

"Right, I'll make sure they send some reinforcements." He dissapeared with a poof!

"Okay, who's injured?"

"That one with the sword got me pretty good," grimaced Raidou, who had been holding his side.

"Nothing major here," said Kakashi. "Just a sprained wrist." 

"I got knocked around a bit," said Iruka.

"Other than a scratch from Kiba's kunai when I tossed him, I'm fine."

"Boys?"

"My hand's throbbing from landing on it, but other wise I'm fine."

"Sore from landing on my ass in that tree, but I'm good too."

"Let me see your hand, Naruto."

"It's okay, the bandages took most of the impact," he said as Iruka took his hand to examine it.

"Looks okay, and it's not bleeding," he said as he examined. Satisfied, he let Naruto have his hand back. He turned to Kakashi, "Why'd you go and use that Giant Tsunami Jutsu!?"

"What!!? It's all I could think of that would stop them all without killing everyone!"

"You're supposed to stick with hand to hand only! I told you this already!"

"Sorry 'Ru..." he sighed, showing just how completely whipped he was.

"Too bad Genma's not here," chuckled Raidou. "He'd never let Kakashi live this down."

"Right..." sighed Asuma as he patted his vest pocket.

"Oh no you don't, Asuma Sarutobi. Not with the boy's here!"

Asuma sighed again, "Fine..."

"You sound like Shikaku Nara right now."

"I have a headache from when the big guy smacked me up side the head."

"What big guy?"

"With the other group."

"Oh."

"Here we go! Some decent reinforcements!" She ran forward to the pack of dogs that had appeared outta nowhere. "Took you long enough!!!"

"Sorry, we were stopped several times. There are groups of strange ninja hiding around the village."

"Great... it's a full on invasion!"

"It appears so."

Groans all around.

"Come on...We've got to get Genma and Hayate," said Raidou as took a step forward...

...and pitched forward.

"Uh-ugh... You're not going anywhere Raidou." Iruka grabbed his first-aide kit and knelt next to the injured Chunnin. He pulled off Raidou's vest and pulled off his shirt. The slash from the enemy-nin's sword ran from near the center of his left shoulder blade around to the middle of his stomache. "It's not very deep," said Iruka, relief evident in his voice. "But it's large, and he's gunna bleed out if we don't do anything soon."

"Here," said Ms. Inuzuka as she handed Iruka a pill. "It's a blood pill. It should help."

He nodded and fed it to Raidou. "We have to get him to a medic," he said as he packed gauze against the jagged wound. "Damn it, i hope Asuma bring a medic unit back with him."

"Asuma's a Jounin. He knows to call for a medic unit."

A howl breaks the dead silence that had overtaken all background noise.

"Crap! They're on the move!" She turned to Iruka, "Can you move?"

"It's not like I have a spinal injury. I can move, just not too hard or fast on my own."

"Well, you're gunna have to deal with it. Those bastard are comming this way. And fast!"

Raidou climbed shakily to his feet, wincing slightly. "Then let's go. I can keep up."

"Doubt it," said Kakashi flatly. "One of us is going to have to carry you."

"I don't need to be carried!"

"Alright, but when you keel over from pain and blood loss, I'm gunna laugh."

"Yeah, and then you'll have him slung over your shoulder and carrying him to the hospital as fast as you can," said Ms. Inuzuka as she stared in the direction that the attackers would come from. "Seriously guys, we have to get moving. I can see them moving already!"

"Right, let's move out everyone!"

--------------------------------------------------------

The leader of the group that had attacked Naruto stood outside the Earth Cave. "Tell me," he said to apparently no one. "Why do you protect the demon child?"

"What's it too you?" replied Genma from inside the prison.

"I am curious as to why Konoha Chunnin and Jounin would protect the monster that destroyed the village."

"You people are all alike," he spat. "Can't tell the difference between a kid and a demon."

"We all know that it is just a matter of time before the seal the keeps Kyuubi imprisoned inside that child breaks and the demon is free."

"Then you didn't know the Fourth Hokage very well. That seal cannot be broken."

"Are you so sure?"

"Only the Fourth Hokage or Master Jiraiya can remove it."

"You place such high regards on a dead man and a lecher."

"You bastard! Never insult the greatest ninja of our village!"

"Yell and curse all you like. You cannot escape my Earth Prison!"

"We might not be able too, but I can guarantee that Kakashi can smash right through it!"

"Kakashi Hatake is nothing but a weakling that copies other peoples hard earned jutsu. He is nothing but a fraud."

"Then you are a fool!"

"A fool that captured you and your friend, eh?

"Genma, stop. He's just baiting you," coughed Hayate. "He's trying to make you do something stupid."

Genma stat down next to his friend. "I know, but I can't just let him stand out there and insult Yondaime-sama."

"It's hard, but you must remain calm."

Genma picked up a branch that had been captured along with them and used a match to light it. "Well, at least we can see for a little while."

"Yeah, but what about when we run out of air?"

"You really think they'd let us die?"

"Honestly?"

"Good point," he sighed. "But we need the light."

"Ugh... why didn't I bring a flashlight with me. I always have one in my pack."

"I had one, but my pack's out there somewhere," he sighed, waving vaguely toward what he thought was west.

"Great..."

--------------------------------------------------------

"Oh thank god," sighed Iruka, relieved. "Some damn ANBU at last!" He motioned for everyone to stop.

Kakashi darted forward to speak to the ANBU team. He returned a few minutes later with one of the ANBU members. "They've activated ANBU teams all over the village. These bastard are proving hard to find."

"But the leader with the Earth Cave Prison? Have they found them?"

"No," stated the ANBU. "We sent a team to the location that Asuma provided, but there was nothing there but a deserted battle field."

"No sign of Genma or Hayate?"

"None."

"Have the sent out an medic units?"

"Not yet. Is someone injured?"

Raidou, who'd been sitting on the ground since they'd stopped, groaned weakly. "Yeah, one of them with a wicked sword manged to get me pretty good."

"I am trained as a field medic. Allow me to treat the wound."

Raidou tried to stand, fell over, and groaned again.

"That's not good," said the ANBU as he knelt beside the injured Chunnin. He lifted off Raidou's shirt and carefully pealed away the bandages. "Hmmm..." he stared intently at the wound. "It appears that the sword was coated in some kind of poison," he said flatly.

"What? I didn't see anything when I bandaged him that indicated poison."

The ANBU shifted so that the others good get a better look. "See the greenish discoloration?"

"That wasn't there before!"

"It must be a delayed reaction," he mused. "We must get him to the medic units. All of you, follow me."

"But Genma and Hayate!"

"I'm sorry. I know that you want to help your friends, but you must protect the children first."

"Can't deny that logic," said Kakashi. "Come on Iruka, as soon as we get them to safety, we can go back out."

"Fine... but I owe this guy for nearly killing Naruto."

"That was Kakashi," snorted Kiba's mother.

"Don't care. Still gunna take it out on him."

"This is why you don't send couples out on missions together..." sighed the ANBU as he lifted Raidou onto his shoulder. "Let's go people, we have alot of ground to cover and no idea what's waiting before we get there."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AN: Okay then... this would have been a waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better chapter if I could have finished it in one sitting, instead of having to stop and start every few days. Ugh... my sister seriously needs to get off her high horse and let me have some decent time to work at night. Not like she's gotta be up for anything. She works during the freaking day for Kami's sake. She needs to get back into sleeping at night, not waiting untill I get up at noon-ish and then crashing on my bed. And hell, I can't even stay up untill 3am anymore, not if I'm gunna have ta drag my lazy behind to work at 10:30 in the morning everyday.

And apologies for the OOC Genma, Raidou, and Hayate. I've never actually written them in any kind of detail before. And they don't get anywhere near enough airtime, so they're hard to work with.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry for the delay in a new chapter. I kinda forgot about this for awhile, what with the massive writers block and lack of sleep that seem to be the central theme's of my life at the moment. And I've been focusing on my Bleach story more than anything, since it's the only one that hasn't developed a case of 'give-Snow-writer's-block-the-second-she-thinks-about-it' yet.

And again, OOC Genma, Hayate, Asuma, and yadda, yadda, yadda.

Oh, and I'm making up jutsu's as I go along, so don't kill me for it. I honestly don't know any that aren't in the the manga up to where I have, and I haven't played enough of Ninja Council 3 to find any that are new to me.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Deep rumble.

" 'The hell...?" startled Genma as the floor began moving.

"No idea," coughed Hayate, starting to choke on the dust that was being thrown into the air.

"Are we moving?"

"I believe so," came the hacking reply.

"How the hell is that even possible!"

"I have no idea," he replied, trying to stand, but failing due to the shaking ground.

"Hey! You guys outside! What the hell is going on?!" demanded Genma, just barely able to stand by using the curved walls of their prison.

No reply.

"I said, 'What the hell is going on'?!?"

"Quiet!" was the only response.

Genma cursed fluently as he toppled backwards, unable to remain standing.

"Well, now what?"

Deep sigh, "We wait."

--------------------------------------------------------

Iruka and the others waited impatiently as the medic's treated their injuries and cleared everyone but Raidou for duty. They tried to hold back Kakashi as well, but that was a miserable failure, since not a single one of them was fast enough to stop him from running off to rejoin the fight.

"Idiot's going to get himself killed one day," sighed Kiba's mother as she listened to the reports from her canine scouts.

"Don't I know it..."came Iruka's exasperated sigh. "Naruto, how much gear do you have left?"

"Ummm..." He grabbed his pouches and did a sight inventory. "Most of it's still here. Why?"

"Give it to me."

"What? Why?"

"You're not going back out." He grabbed the pouches full of Naruto's ninja gear before the boy could protest. "I'm sorry, but this is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond you're level now. It's just too dangerous for you out there. You'll be safer here with the ANBU watching you."

"But I can just sit here and do nothing! Those freaks are after me! If I stay here then I'm just a target!"

"And you think going back out there were we can't protect you is any better?"

"What about Genma and Hayate!?! They were captured because of me! I have to go out there and help find them!"

"No you don't! This is a job for us adults!"

"I don't care! I have to do something!"

Iruka sighed and in a calmer, softer voice pleaded, "Please. Just trust me on this. You have to stay here, where we can protect you. You can be of more help here anyway."

"How d'you figure?"

"You haven't trained for this kind of combat. But you have been trained in basic field medicine. Stay here and help treat the injured, relay messages, whatever they need. I know it's hard, but you have to stay here, for your own safety. This whole bloody mess will have been for naught if you get captured, or worse."

Heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll stay. But promise me you'll get the bastard that did this?"

"Of course, that's what I'm here for."

He smiled.

--------------------------------------------------------

Blur of blue light and the sounds of a thousand birds chirping.

Kakashi's felled his tenth enemy in less than an hour. It's the seventh Jounin-level enemy he's run into, and the second that's needed the Chidori to finish off.

"Damn it, this was soooooooo not in the mission request," he grumbled as he jumped and flipped midair to avoid being speared by a volley of kunai. Sharingan whirling in the left eye, he lands on a nearby railing, hand's already in the familiar position for the Kage Bushin no Jutsu.

POOF X's 5!

Kakashi and his clones make short work of the band of rouges that had ambushed him as he search for his captured comrades.

--------------------------------------------------------

"At least we've stopped... I hope," sighed Genma as he pulled a small scrap of cloth out of his vest pocket and wiped the dust from his eye's. He handed it to Hayate, who followed suit.

"Took them long enough," he wheezed.

"You gunna be alright there? You where coughing pretty hard."

"I'll be fine. Just need to clear the gunk out of my lungs."

"Not gunna happen in here," He reached out for some of the gear that had been shaken loose from his packs. "Ugh, at this rate we're never going to be found."

"Don't start thinking like that. That's how they break you and you know it."

"Yeah, but we've been moving for at least twenty minutes. Who knows how far we've gone."

"This Earth Cave is massive, and has to weigh tons. There's no way he's gone too far."

"I still can't believe he's even able to move it at all."

"Yes, and why use a jutsu that takes so much chakra to maintain. It's makes no sense. He'd be better off knocking us out with genjutsu, tying us up, and placing us under guard. This is just wasteful and a danger to them."

"Twenty bucks says the leader is a 'few fries short of a happy meal.'"

"I'd be willing to bet that you'd win that bet."

Genma chuckled. "Well anyway, Kakashi's definately out there looking for us by now, so that a good thing."

"Yeah. I hope they managed to find a med-team by now. Raidou got sliced up pretty bad by the one guy with the weird looking sword."

Genma deadpanned. "The one that was tinted that sick green?"

"Yeah."

He blanched, "It was poisoned. I got a good look at it when he pulled it out. You could see the stuff coating the inside of it's scabbard."

Dead silence.

Genma shot to his feet and was banging on the walls of their prison with a kunai, "Let me out damn it!!! Let me out!!!"

Hayate grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him back to the floor. "Stop it! You're only going to hurt yourself! Raidou will be fine! He's got Iruka and Tsume Inuzuka there to make sure he gets to the medics! Calm down!"

"I can't calm down! He's out there poisoned and bleeding! I have to help him!"

"Getting yourself killed the second you manage to break out of here isn't going to help him! Genma, get a hold of yourself!"

"Hayate, I have to get to him! I can't leave him alone when he's hurt! I have to be there with him!"

"He's not alone! They're with him! They aren't going to let him die!" He sighed heavily, "I'm sorry, but I have to do this." He chopped Genma in the neck and the now unconscious Chunnin slumped bonelessly to the floor at his feet.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Where the hell is Kakashi," screamed Asuma as he searched. "Can't your dog's find his scent?"

"No," called Tsume. "It's like he's dissapeared off the face of the earth." She stopped talking long enough to listen to a keening howl from nearly a mile away. "Still nothing," she spat angrily. "Come on, let's start the next grid!"

"Right behind you!" came the weary reply.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Anything?" called Iruka over his radio.

_"Still nothing,"_ came the slightly static-y reply. _"We've covered nearly ten square miles already, but we can't find anything or anyone."_

"Nothing on Kakashi?"

_"Nada. He's gone Iruka, we can't find any trace of him."_

"Damn it," he cursed softly. "Alright Asuma, check back in in ten."

_"Rodger."_

He sighed deeply and chanced another glance around the area through he's binoculars. "Where are you..."

Sound's of footsteps behind him. He's already whipped halfway around with a kunai in his hand before Kurenai called out, "Whoa, it's me Iruka. Don't slice me open!"

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Asuma?"

"Tsume's with him already. And anyway, I thought you could use some back-up."

"All I'm doing right now is re-con. I don't really need any help. Go find on of the other teams."

"No way. You need someone to watch your back."

"Fine," he hands her his spare binoculars and points to the nearest look-out tower. "Get up there and start looking for anything out of place. We've got to find out where these guys keep dissapearing too, and where they've taken Genma and Hayate."

"They have Hayate? No wonder Raidou looked so down and wouldn't talk to me."

"You didn't know?"

"Wasn't there long enough. I stayed long enough to tell them where I was going and that there was a big group of them traveling down by the canals."

"Oh... Well, anyway, get up there and get to work. I'm gunna move to another location. I'll radio when I get there."

"Got it."

--------------------------------------------------------

"This is so boring," grumbled Kiba as he sat with Naruto. They were stuck at the rendezvous point, waiting for someone to remember them and give them something to do. "I mean come on, if you're going to force us to stay behind, at least give us something to do."

"We could sneak past the medics and go see Raidou. Poor guy could use the company."

Kiba shrugged, "Yeah, he was looking pretty down ever since Genma was caught."

"I noticed that too. I mean, we were all feeling pretty miserable at the time, but he looked like someone had just slapped him or something."

Kiba nodded and glanced around the corner of the building. He waved and they quietly snuck under the window to Raidou's room. Kiba, being the taller of the two, peeked over the window sill and into the room. Finding it deserted, he jimmied it open with the tip of a kunai and hauled himself up and over into the room. He grabbed Naruto's hand and helped pull him up and into the room. He slid the window closed again and pulled the curtains. "Good, no one saw us."

"You're not supposed to be in here," said Raidou sleepily.

"We know, but were use less out there and we thought you could use the company."

"Kiba, you really shouldn't have come here without telling anyone. You're gunna cause a massive headache for everyone when they realize your gone."

"The way things are going out there, they'll never figure it out."

"Whatever..." he sighed.

"You feeling any better?" asked Naruto, concerned.

"Ehhh... They gave me the antidote already. It's going to be a day or so before the effects completely wear off though."

"How's your side?"

He smiled, "Let's just say I'm glad that I don't have any med allergies because I'm really enjoying this trip to happy town."

"Huh?"

"Sorry, painkillers make me babble."

"How many stitched did you get?"

"Um... about a hundred and twenty or so."

"Ouch. That had to suck."

He snorted, "No worse than a handful of senbon to the face..."

"Is that how you got the scar?"

"I said that out loud?"

"Yes."

He sighed and nodded, "I took a handful of senbon to the face during the last war. Took me out of commission for nearly a month. They were afraid that the needles had damaged my eyes and told me I was probably going to have partial loss of my sight."

"But it didn't?"

"Naw, when they took the bandages off my face I still had my perfect vision. And one helluva a scar to show off."

"Can say that again. That scar is wicked."

"Never heard anyone call it 'wicked', but thanks."

Kiba's stomache grumbled. "Oh great..."

"When's the last time you boys ate anything?"

"Last night..." they sighed.

"You skipped breakfast?"

"I was too excited," said Kiba.

"Too terrified to eat," sighed Naruto.

Raidou chuckled, "Well, since I don't feel like eating anything for a good long while, you can have my lunch. Although, the way the food around here tastes, it just might be spiked with the same poison as the guys sword was."

The boys cracked up laughing and Raidou just smiled.

--------------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, Hayate was trying in vain to think of a way out of the Earth Prison before something else happened.

"Ugh... this is hopeless... I don't have the taijutsu skills to break out of this place without my sword." He sighed and shifted the empty scabbard that was slung across his back. "If only I hadn't lost my grip..."

Genma stirred.

"Waking up already?"

"Get the number of the bus that ran me over..." he groaned weakly.

"Gunna stay calm this time, or do I have to knock you out again?"

"For all the good it'll do us..." He sat up and rubbed his bruised neck. "It feels like you cracked a vertebrae."

"Oh please, if I had you wouldn't be sitting up right now."

"I know, but it still feels like it."

"Be glad I didn't give you a kidney shot."

"Oh lord, internal bleeding is the last thing we need."

The floor and walls shake violently and a loud explosion is heard outside.

"Cavalries here," grinned Genma at the sound of chirping birds.

"Thank you Kakashi," coughed Hayate as he moved to lean against the wall to hear better.

--------------------------------------------------------

"You guys alright in there?" called Kakashi as he was momentarily shoved up against the outside wall of the prison.

"Yeah, hurry up and get us out!" came the muffled reply.

"Give me a minute," he called back as he jumped up and into a nearby tree. He used the branch like a spring-board and sprung high into the air, landing in the middle of the river that meandered nearby. Using a sweeping chakra backed kick, he splashed a massive amount of water into the air and in the direction of the enemy. "Ice Style! Arctic Snowstorm!" The water froze instantly, coating everything in thick, heavy ice. Another sweeping kick and a call of, "Ice Style! Frozen Statues!" and everything or one that was in the open was completely coated in a thick layer of ice, rendering them immobile and effectively ending the fight. Until they melted. But that wouldn't be untill well _after_ reenforcements arrived. He calmly walked back to the giant dome of compacted earth and ice. He rapped his knuckle against it, signaling his trapped friends with Morse code. '_Still alive in there?'_

'_Yes. But it's freaking freezing now. What the hell Kakashi?"_

_'Yeah... I kind went a little overboard again. Sorry about that.'_

_'Whatever, just get us the hell out of here!'_

_Alright, alright. Get up against the other wall and cover your heads. No telling if this thing's gunna hold together.'_

_'I hate you Kakashi. You know that right?'_

_'Shut up already and get to the other wall.'_

He waited a full minute for them to move and get ready. And to figure out how to crack through the layer of ice and earth without bringing it down around his friends. Chidori was out, he'd used it too often that day and it would have cause a fatal cave-in. He used his Sharingan to find a weak spot on the wall. He lined up the tip of a kunai with the weak spot and slammed it as hard as he could.

Nothing happened.

---

---

---

A small spider web of cracks appears.

Kakashi snorts and raps the spot with the side of his fist.

The ice shatters and falls off, leaving just the earth wall.

"One down..." He glances over his shoulder toward the river. "Might work..."

He walks over to the other side to tap out another message. _'New tactic. Count to thirty and take the deepest breath you can.'_

_'What are you going to do?'_

_'Gunna use the water from the river to drill through the wall.'_

_'Only you Kakashi.'_

_'Shut up. Do you want me to get you out or not?'_

_'Just do it already!'_

_'Fine. Start counting.'_

He walked to the edge of the river. Hands blur from the rapid hand signs. "Water Style! Giant Vortex Jutsu!" He directed the swirling vortex to the weak point in the wall. It almost instantly dissolved and half the cave collapsed. Kakashi reversed the drill of water and released the jutsu. He darted over to help dig them dig out.

"I take it back," growled Genma as pushed himself up from the mass of mud and debris. "I don't hate you. I _loath_ you!"

"Hey, at least I got you out!" he countered as he pulled Hayate up. "And anyway, is that any way to speak to the guy that half carried Raidou to the damn medics?"

Genma blanched, remembering Raidou and his injuries, "how is he?"

"Last I saw of him, the medics had given him something for the pain and where looking up the antidote to whatever the poison was."

"Was he bad?"

"Not very. He'd lost a lot of blood though. I'm sure he's fine."

"Won't know until we get there. Come on already!"

"Follow me," called Kakashi as he took off toward the rendezvous point.

--------------------------------------------------------

"And then Genma somehow managed to avoid getting a volley of kunai to the back and dragged me and Hayate behind the tree. Then he managed to signal where we were and managed to keep them off us long enough for help to arrive."

"Wow..." said the boys, awe showing on their faces. Raidou had been telling them story's from the war.

"Yeah... Genma's lucky like that. He always finds a way out of ever situation without loosing anyone."

"I wanna be like you and Genma one day," said Kiba, still over-awed.

"Naw... you don't wanna be like us. Just be yourselves and you'll be great ninja's one day."

Kiba's retort was cut off by the door opening.

"Raidou?"

"Genma!!! You're okay!"

Said Chunnin was already at his side, hugging him tightly.

"Watch the stitches," warned Raidou halfheartedly.

"You idiot! How could you let that jerk cut you like that?"

"Oh right, like I presented my side and said, 'Hey big guy. Come cut me open! Free and easy target!' At least I didn't get my ass captured."

"It would have been you if I hadn't of shoved you out of the way. You'd prolly be laying unconscious and still bleeding to death right now if I hadn't."

"Kakashi had to save your ass?" asked Raidou, reading the tone of Genma's voice.

"Shut up! Next time I won't save your ass!"

Raidou chuckled, "Yes you will. And then I'll save you again and we'll just keep it up until of us does something really stupid and get himself killed."

"Always the optimist since you got your face riped open by those senbon..."

"You know you like the scar..." he whispered so the kids couldn't hear him.

"Better believe it." came the whispered reply. Genma sighed and stood back up. He turned to the boys, "Kakashi and Iruka are looking for you. Go. Now."

The nodded and darted out the door quickly, leaving the two to themselves.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Didn't I tell you not to wonder off!?!" demanded Iruka when the boys appeared next to him a few minutes later.

"Yes Iruka-sensei."

"You're so lucky that they saw you go into Raidou's room. I have half a mind to throttle you both!"

They just stared at their feet.

"I swear," he sighed. "You two are going to be the death of me." He reached over and ruffled their hair. "I'm not mad at you, so stop looking like kicked puppies."

"Hey!"

"Figure of speech Kiba. Just a figure of speech."


End file.
